Last-minute wire transfer scam targets home seller

When Maryland residents Roger and Shirl Lynn Butschky sold their home in East Naples more than a year ago, they didn’t get their money after the closing.

Every dime – more than $450,000 – went to a fraudster who sent bogus new wiring instructions to the couple’s title company at the last minute without their approval or knowledge, according to court documents and a report filed with the Naples Police Department.

The Butschkys sued Dunn Title in Naples and several of its employees for negligence and breach of fiduciary duty in 2017, seeking damages and a jury trial. The lawsuit is still pending in Collier Circuit Court.

Real estate wire fraud, a form of cybercrime that intercepts money transfers in home sales, is nothing new. It can take many forms.

Local experts say Southwest Florida is ripe for such scams because of its wealth and plentiful supply of high-end homes.

Title fraud is common

“It’s common. It actually happens all over the country – this title fraud,” said Amanda De Medeiros, fraud line coordinator for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Last year the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 300,000 complaints, with reported losses of more than $1.4 billion. The real estate sector was heavily targeted with 9,645 victims, who lost more than $56.2million.

In 2016, the number of fraudulent wire transfer scams reported by title companies and closing agents to the Internet Crime Complaint Center increased by 480 percent. The crime has been reported across the country – in every state.

Many title companies, Realtors, real estate lawyers and banks have tightened their rules and procedures for closings to try to fend off fraudsters. Still, sellers and buyers should stay alert, especially as a sale draws closer.

“Just stop for a minute and think about things and double check and triple check. Pick up the phone and have a conversation with your title agent,” said Bryan Oglesby, director of public relations and outreach for the Better Business Bureau serving West Florida.

In the Butschkys’ case, the FBI got involved after the couple’s money came up missing.

After investigating the fraud, the FBI recovered less than $30,000, so the couple still lost more than $421,000 on the sale of their home, according to court documents.

“It’s very unfortunate. They lost a lot of money,” said their attorney Michael Petruccelli, with offices in Naples and Fort Lauderdale.